Miata Mailing List: June 1998, Message #102

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>Ok, I'm new to your list. I read through the archives and this list is
>as opinionated as any I've seen. ;-)
>
>I'm interested in the lists consensus on a decently equipped Miata. I'm
>interested in long distance touring and commuting. I have to travel to
>Boston monthly and am really getting tired of the plane. Is the ABS
>option a must have?, nice to have?, avoid like the plague? How does the
>leather hold up? I am currently in TX and it is about 120 degrees in the
>garage, any threat to the leather? Are there any problematic options?
>
>Any and all opinions/advice will be appreciated
>


Having just recently returned from a 3000 mile round trip to Chicago I can
offer some advice concerning the long-distance touring:

1) Avoid an R package.  I drove one and it's considerably stiffer than my
car, would have been a pain in the butt for long commute on less than
perfect roads.  Plus general consensus appears to be that aftermarket
shocks/springs are better anyway, so go with comfy.  By the way I autoXed my
'99L for the very first time yesterday and had a blast so it's not like you
can't have fun in anything but an R (if you're serious about competition,
however there are certain rules which might make it more convenient to have
one, ask someone who knows).  VOTE - skip the R

2) Two words: CRUISE CONTROL.  I never wanted it in any other car, thought
it was useless and possibly dangerous.  Not sure anymore about dangerous but
certainly useful when the road is a straight non-miata highway... I used it
all the way up to Chicago (after getting my damn speeding ticket) and all
the way down... kept me out of trouble and made the drive much more
enjoyable (for how enjoyable straight highway can be).  VOTE - Get it!

3) One word:  WindBlocker.  I have a Leather package '99 which comes with a
factory Mazda whatchamading it, ok if it's free (I wanted leather anyway)
but not as good as say a KTW... oops that's out of production, great timing
dude <g>... but the instructions to build or have someone build it for you
are available (search around Miata.net) and other products are available as
well.  VOTE - No Brainer, GET IT!

4) If you have good tires and drive like a normal human being you probably
won't miss ABS.  Yes it could save your butt in a critical situation, but so
could a rollbar or a Volvo for that matter... and we're not all driving
volvos, are we.  VOTE - Whatever Floats Your Boat

5) Leather, ummm... I have it, I love it, I hate it... it's hot when it's
hot and cold when it's cold (not like it gets that cold in Fla...) but it
looks yummy... and... when you sweat and sit on it, the sweat goes on the
seat and you can see it... I.E.  it doesn't get absorbed as much as it would
with cloth seats (GROSS FACTOR - High)...  don't know about *durability* but
I've seen plenty of FLA leather package '94s that look awesome.  VOTE - Get
Leather if you like it, make sure you CONDITION IT often!

6) Travel kit must and I mean must include the following:  1 container of
Wet Ones (TM)... some people call them "Baby Wipes" I guess but I mean
there's already all these people going around calling our
*manly-man-machines* (Lou, I'm kidding... don't get all psyched <vbg>)
***CUTE*** that we don't need to say "pass me a *baby wipe*".... plus if
you're on a date at a drive-in you could say "could you give me a WET ONE?"
and then wait... maybe that'll allow you to skip the damn 15 minutes of
"Sure I came here to watch this movie Bruce Willis is *my* favorite actor
too I'm soo glad you picked this over Godzilla I am enjoying myself and feel
no need to slowly slip my hand around your neck and maybe massage your head
and ...oh you like it too ok screw the movie I think I'm fainting do you
need to practice your CPR skills? Oh, is that a clip there I wasn't trying
to undo your bra but I mean if you insist ok." (BTW tried it, didn't work...
she looked at me weird so I had to say *THE WIPES OVER THERE* so she laughed
real hard and the laughing extended the 15 minutes to like 25 but it was
worth the wait <g>.  Also plan for one container of SPF 30 sunscreen... oh
and one container of after third-degree-burns aloe cream (you didn't really
think the sunscreen was going to work, did you).  Oh one related tip... it
looks cool to drive shirtless on a sunny day... but move the seatbelt
around... A LOT... it doesn't look cool at all when you have a seat-belt
tattoo on your otherwise impeccable tan (been there, done that, definitelly
put on a T-Shirt).  VOTE - Did I really write this whole paragraph... I
think I need to seek professional help <g>.

7) Headrest speakers are a must for top-down cruising unless you've got a
'99 with the BOSE system which comes standard with the new and improved OUR
ENGINEERS ARE F'IN MORONS rattle in the DOOR base upgrade.  You might be
able to get a '99 with BOSE without the Rattle upgrade but that's only if
you also get ABS, two hardtops and two clear glass sand filled grow your own
ant colony door panel replacements, which are a HUGE hit with the
kindergardners but totally block out the babe-magnet antenna (some say it's
a dual-cup cupholder but they're full of... you know... I mean ask them to
show you how they drive with two cups in there <g>)  VOTE - Don't listen to
me I'm babbling, but get the H.S.

Hope this helps, if you need any more info feel free to ask, I'll feel free
to charge... good thing I'm not longwinded or anything <VBG>

Let us know when you join the family so we can throw a Welcome to the family
thread or something!  What did you expect a header? A Turbocharger? a
catback?  Ok, fine, give me your cat and his litter box, I'll keep it a week
and then I'll give you catback <g>.  No I'm not on drugs or anything or at
least not good ones... it's just that I'm still on the adrenaline rush
'cause I just looked at the autoX pics again and today at soccer I scored
like the best looking goal ever scored by... ok me but it sounded good,
didn't it ?  Oh, and we still lost 3-1.

---------
Alessandro & the Strategic Toy Deployment Unit
formerly known as SnowWhite (White99L)
Hollywood FL